Dec. 12 is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who Is also known as the Empress of the Americas.
Our Lady Of Guadalupe is a symbol of faith for Catholic Hispanics.
It is believed she made multiple appearances in a mountain named El Tepeyac in Mexico City in 1531.
Tradition has it she asked a young man Juan Diego to build a church for her, which is where the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe now stands in Mexico City.
Locally, the Mission of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa held a nine-day rosary to commemorate her.
To wrap up this feast, the mission hosted a special service with mariachi music and food.
“This would be happening all over in Mexico today, so Las Mañanitas, which is basically kind of what the Mexican people will sing on somebody’s birthday,” explained Father Kelly Vandehey, the pastor of the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. “You wake them up with Las Mañanitas, you are singing these beautiful songs, and so Las Mañanitas would be waking Mary up on this very special day.“
Believers are known to bring flowers to the Virgen Mary and participate in pilgrimages to honor the sacred image or Our Lady of Guadalupe.
